Droit du Seigneur: His Lordship's Right of the First Night - Chapter 16
While Louise pulled the sheet to cover herself, Richard’s gaze deliberately turned away.
…It’s definitely the same person.
The man who had saved her from Baron Hans was indeed the fief lord. Back then, she had only seen his eyes, but now, with some of her anxiety alleviated, she recognized him by his voice and gaze.
Feeling the lingering warmth where his large hand had touched her bxttxcks, Louise stole a glance at his face.
“Are you done?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Suppressing the response stirring within him at her trembling voice, Richard quickly got to the point.
“I will not sleep with you.”
It was an obvious statement. Despite her youthful appearance, she was about to become another man’s wife. Of course, she was genuinely younger compared to him.
Although he felt strangely drawn to her, he was not comfortable taking the purity of a woman who was soon to marry someone else. That went against his principles as a knight.
“I cannot do such a thing.”
“What? Then…”
“I will not take you. However, you must tell your husband and everyone else that you spent the night with me. You must keep this a secret.”
Louise looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes.
“You have a man you are about to marry, and you didn’t come here willingly, did you?”
“But, but why would you…”
Why would he show her such kindness? Was it just that she didn’t suit his taste? Or was it that he couldn’t bear to take a lowly peasant girl to bed?
But he was a new lord who needed to solidify his rule. If it became known that he had not exercised his right of the first night, it could cause complications. Was there another reason?
Ah…
As Louise speculated, a realization struck her.
“I cannot take you.”
“I cannot do it.”
Does that mean…?
“Did you know that men who are impotent often act more macho to hide it? It’s true, right? That lumberjack was all muscle but totally useless.”
Recalling her friend Mary’s words, Louise cautiously observed Richard. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen.
His large, firm body, broad shoulders that seemed several times wider than hers, and big hands that could easily cover her face.
His thick eyebrows, sculpted nose, and chiseled jawline were very masculine. As she lifted her gaze, she was startled to see his prominent adam’s apple.
Could it be…?
Everything seemed to click into place.
Ah, the lord… unfortunately… he cannot function as a man.
It must be a severe blow to his pride if it became known that he was impotent.
“Do you understand? You must keep it a secret that we did not consummate.”
He repeated this so insistently.
“Yes, my lord.”
Understanding his situation, Louise nodded resolutely.
“I understand.”
“Good. What is your name?”
“Louise Riddel… I mean, Cherinia.”
Realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself.
“Can’t even say your own name properly? Which one is it then?”
When he skeptically asked, leaning his torso sideways with arms crossed, she felt a chill down her spine. His intense gaze was intimidating, but she knew that avoiding eye contact would look more suspicious.
Trying not to let her voice tremble, she explained,
“…Cherinia. Louise is a name my mother gave me, so I’ve been called that as a nickname since childhood, and it’s more familiar to me.”
“Surname?”
“That would be my fiancé’s surname…”
Recalling the names ‘Helio Riddel’ and ‘Cherinia’ from the documents he had checked before coming to the bedroom, Richard narrowed his eyes.
‘So the man’s ancestors were nobility.’
With the long history of the empire, it wasn’t uncommon for fallen nobles to marry commoners. Commoners typically didn’t have surnames, but if one of their ancestors had been of noble blood, they might continue using that surname.
Given the deep connection with her fiancé, it wasn’t unusual for a woman to start using her future husband’s surname before the marriage was officially recorded. For commoners, having a surname itself could be a matter of pride.
